Can you make simple swaps for more healthful (but still yummy) muffins?

Me, I like a firm banana. 

No, this is not a euphemism. In my book a good banana is still a bit green. Really, I'd rather need a knife to cut into it, then ever put a mushy fruit in my mouth. I seem to have passed this preference geneticly to my kids. Or they heard me gag one too many times as I tried to serve them overripe bananas & took a hint.

Now, we all know that no matter how green those bananas look in the store, they will be half-way to brown by the next morning. It's also a well known fact one should probably keep their DBI (daily banana intake) to a single serving a day, because devouring too many of those wonderful fruits can have intestinal repercussions.

So what is a banana-loving mom to do with all the "that's-too-mushy-for-my-mouth" leftovers? How many ziplock baggies of peeled bananas can I keep in the freezer before my husband starts Googling "food-hoarder?"

I don't have the answers. But as I sat in the kitchen on a recent morning, I was pondering these questions, drinking coffee and debating what to have for breakfast. All the while texting SisterCat.

Which is when I confessed I had a craving.

I've been back on the road of healthier eating for a few months now, so it's not surprising I dream about having pastries for breakfast. Occasionally I've even been known to give in to the pressure from the Rebels and make cupcakes for breakfast. But we all know it's not the best way to start the day.

So even as my dear friend jokingly prodded me with YOLOs via text, I wanted to at least come up with something healthy a little more healthful.

With that in mind, I grabbed my tried and true recipe for Banana Nut Muffins, and got to work on making some substitutions. With the help of the interwebs, a slide rule, a with fingers crossed, I finally popped a batch of 17 IKEA muffin cups into the oven. (Yes, only 17. Is anyone else is singing Winger right now? Just me? Ok then.)

Amazingly, the resulting muffins were damn near perfect. Yummy texture, not too sweet (except for the chocolate chips!), and just dense enough. So good, in fact, I reckoned I should share it.

Healthful Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups flour  
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder  
• 1/2 tsp bakiing soda
• 1/4 tsp + a pinch salt (I use kosher) 
• 1/4 coconut oil (room temperature/liquid state)
• 1/4 cup honey 
• 1 Tbs milled flax + 3 Tbs water (as an egg substitute) 
• 1/4 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt 
• 1 Tbs water 

• 2 ripe mashed bananas (approximately 1 cup) 
• 1 cup chopped nuts (or 1/2 cup nuts + 1/2 cup chocolate chips) 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease baking cups (I used a drop of coconut oil in each) and set aside. 
2. In a small bowl Mix milled flax with 3 Tbs water & set aside.
3. Sift together dry ingredients. Honestly, in most baking I happily skip this step. However with all the substitutions, I wanted to take the time and do it "properly."
4. Cream oil & honey tougher. Cream in flax mixture, yogurt & water. 
5. Stir in the dry ingredients, alternating with the banana to keep the batter from getting to dry. 
6. Once everything is well encorporated, stir in nuts (and chocolate). 
7. Distribute evenly into muffin cups. 
8. Bake on 325 for approximately 20 minutes**. 
9. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. (a toothpick stuck into the center of a muffin should come out clean)

• **Oven times will vary depending on what type of bakeware you use, your oven, and even the type of nuts & chocolate you added. 

ENJOY!! 

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